During every Super Bowl week, there's a major storyline. Last year, it was the Cardinals overcoming their "loser" heritage. The year before that, it was the Patriots pursuing perfection. This year, it's a body part - more specifically, the right ankle that belongs to Dwight Freeney.
Reports have surfaced that Freeney has a ligament tear in the ankle, something that the Colts have denied. Indianapolis is instead saying that it's a third-degree sprain (which by definition is technically a tear). Adam Schefter says "potatoe", Colts say "potato" - what everyone agrees on is this is serious.
Dwight Freeney's importance cannot be understated. He has wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks for almost a decade. Like Peyton Manning on the other side of the ball, Freeney defines the philosophy of the Colts' defense to a "T": quick, deceptive, relentless. Especially against the top scoring passing offense in the league, Freeney's potential loss is major. But, it's not a death-blow.
The Colts have prided themselves on their "next man up" philosophy, and backup Raheem Brock is a solid veteran that can fill the gap. What this injury does is level the playing field even more. If you thought Super Bowl XLIV was slightly in the Colts' favor (i.e. 55/45), then this probably tips the scales back to a toss-up.
Nobody said winning Championships was easy.
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